More positive reviews for the Kerbal Space Program (see earlier post):

* Kerbal Space Program review: A playful masterpiece of space exploration – The Washington Post

“Kerbal Space Program” is the kind of game one’s never finished playing. Its ends always feel open to negotiation. It is a purer form of game play. Rather than a ritualistic capitulation to an unchanging condition, it creates a system of wonderment within an ever-expanding boundary of possibilities. Even the game’s susceptibility to bugs and its ungainly interfaces belie a wild expansiveness, technical byproducts of a thing attempting to do things no one planned for it to do.

* Kerbal Space Program review – the final frontier – Metro News

Despite the hugely complicated theories underpinning your creations much of the game’s design decisions remain surprisingly intuitive. You don’t need to have studied applied physics to make reasonable decisions on rocket design: a paper plane and an understanding that the heavier something is the more thrust it needs to take off will do.

There is an element of edutainment to Kerbal Space Program (it’s endorsed by both NASA and Elon Musk) but it still works extremely well as a straight video game, to the point where its closest comparison is probably Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. It still needs better tutorials and a more accessible introduction to sandbox mode, where the real fun is to be had, but clearly this is a game that is going to continue to evolve, and will probably never be truly ‘finished’.

* It’s Not Easy Being Green – Kerbal Space Program – GameInformer.com

Kerbal Space Program provides something for everyone: players who will never see a return voyage from “the Mun,” and those who delve into special resource gathering, landing, docking, and crew-out-of-ship activities. If you are a creative type who loves to fool around with physics, you’ll probably love Kerbal Space Program. If you’re just looking to create unbelievable, ridiculous rockets with an impractical number of fuel pods, you can still have plenty of fun. Whatever your level of engagement, you can enjoy shooting these little green Smurfs into space – or into the nearby scenery.

Kerbal Space Program has reached version 1.0 status.  It gets a glowing review here: Kerbal Space Program review – PC Gamer.

Kerbal Space Program is about building and flying rockets into space. Chances are you already knew that, because it was first released, in alpha, back in 2011. Thanks to the strength of the core sandbox concept, its potential was evident from the start. The added tools and features of subsequent patches have only strengthened the game’s ability to deliver on that initial promise of full space program management and execution. Kerbal Space Program was one of the few Early Access games that I felt comfortable giving an unreserved recommendation. It was brilliant then, and it remains brilliant now that it’s updated to version 1.0 for an official release.

These two videos highlight the launch of KSP 1.o:

Buzz Aldrin says at WhoSay,  “My game – Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager is finally available on iPad!”

From game software house and publisher Slitherine Ltd:

“Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what’s beyond.” (Buzz Aldrin – US astronaut, member of Apollo 11 mission)

Since the PC release last October, engineers from developer Polar Motion have not been sitting on their hands. A MAC version, community contest, and several updates have transformed the fragile spaceship into a powerful rocket able to reach the stars. But exploration is the driving force of the team and they’ve just set up a booster that will let them land on a brand new platform: the iPad. Utilizing all of the knowledge developed during these months, this adaptation includes the very latest 1.4.0 update – released last week – for a safe and comfortable first space walk on tablet.

All of the elements that seduced PC players have been implemented in this adaptation. 3 types of campaigns including the Race to the Moon between the US and the USSR, a sandbox mode, historical and what-if space programs, and realistic management tools come together for a nerve-racking and inspiring experience as the head of a space agency. Allocating funds to programs could look simple on paper, but players will have to make sure that there is not a single dollar wasted in their global space supremacy plan.

Risk-takers will set foot on the Moon first. Fool-hardy players though, will see their spaceship exploding before reaching our satellite…

Today iPad owners can also participate in this thrilling yet dangerous adventure. Polar Motion have worked on the controls and the optimization to ensure this platform is perfectly adapted to this space odyssey.

Get more information on Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager from its iTunes page.